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#dosomething: Identity Constructions of Neoabolitionist Grassroots Online

Mon, May 28, 14:00 to 15:15, Hilton Old Town, Floor: M, Dvorak II/III

Abstract

This article examines the political strategies of neoabolitionist grassroots organizations with close ties to state actors and politicians. A new kind of neoabolitionist grassroots seeking to abolish commercial sex, through awareness raising campaigns and consumer responsibility, use visions of digital participatory cultures and the active citizen to gain a voice within a wider network. Following the ideology of the Swedish Model it is the “ordinary” citizen who is placed center-stage and young activists are encouraged to participate through online self-expressions. There is a tension between the organizations’ claims to further the political participation of youth and their desire to define their cause as a depoliticized matter of human rights. The article adds to the criticism of popular claims about the democratic potential of digital media by examining the mythology of “ordinary” citizen’s participation.

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